Love the thrill of downhill sports? Get ready for the coolest new way to play in the sand.

Love the thrill of downhill sports? Lose your woolly socks and
thermal fleece and get ready for sandboarding—arguably the coolest
new way to have fun on a beach or desert getaway.

Kids have long been sledding down sand dunes on pieces of
cardboard and plastic snow sleds. But in recent years, surfers and
out-of-season snowboarders have taken it to the next level with
sandboarding—riding down dunes on boards and sleds made out of a
slicker material that glides on sand.

Want to try sandboarding or sand sledding on your next getaway?
A waxed snowboard or snow saucer will probably do. If your kids are
up for serious careening, then you’ll want to rent boards and sleds
made specifically for sand.

While this emerging sport is a natural fit for beach
destinations, some of the best places to try sandboarding and sand
sledding may surprise you. (Michigan and Colorado? Who knew?) Here
are five of the best dune destinations in the United
States:

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: Mosca,
CO

An 83,000-acre hunk of desert might be the last thing you’d
expect to find in Colorado, but Great Sand Dunes National Park
feels like the Sahara was plopped down in the middle of the
Rockies. Rising 750 feet, the tallest sand dunes in North America
are a four-hour drive south of Denver.
The park allows year-round sand sledding, sandboarding and sand
skiing anywhere there is no vegetation. You can rent boards at the
Oasis Store, just outside the park entrance, from April through
October, before heading off the beaten path. It’s a
three-quarter-mile trek from the parking lot to the first dunes, so
be sure to bring ample food, water, and sunscreen. After a day of
sledding, reward yourself and the kids with a hot mineral soak or
swim at family-friendly Sand Dunes Swimming Pool in Hooper, a
30-minute drive from the park.

Jockey's Ridge State Park: Nags Head, NC

According to Sandboard Magazine, Jockey's
Ridge on North Carolina’s Outer
Banks offers the best sandboarding on the East Coast. The area
is rightfully world-famous for kite flying and hang gliding, and
the Wright brothers took flight in nearby Kitty Hawk. Sand dune
sledding is a casual affair here, with kids of all ages sliding on
cardboard and body boards throughout the year. Sandboarding,
however, requires a permit and is allowed October through
March.

Sand Master Park: Florence, OR

Billed as the world’s first sandboard park, this 4o-acre venue
on Oregon’
s central coast caters to sand lovers of all ages and ilk. Take a
free sand-sculpting clinic and then build your masterpiece in the
state’s largest sand box, challenge yourself with a private
sandboard lesson, or traverse the dunes on a family dune buggy
tour. It’s all about the sand here, but the surf is just five
minutes away.

Silver Lake State Park: Mears, MI

Collectively named one of “America’s Best Little Beach Towns” by
Travel + Leisure magazine, the Silver Lake Sand Dunes Area—Michigan’c
s most popular summer haunts. Between Lake Michigan and Silver Lake
lie 2,000 acres of natural, lofty sand dunes that are a mecca for
off-road driving, as the only dunes east of Utah allowing private
motorized vehicles. Your family can have fun sandboarding and
sledding with rental gear from The Sandbox in Silver Lake. Beyond
the dunes, this area was made for lazy summer days punctuated by
lighthouses, farmers’ markets, tree-lined bike paths, and water
sports galore.

Marina State Beach and Dunes Preserve: Marina,
CA

Located 10 miles north of Monterey,
off Highway 1, Marina State Beach boasts some of the California
coast’s tallest dunes and is a magnet for kite flyers and hang
gliders. The easy-does-it dunes are perfect for families with young
kids that want to combine a day at the beach with sliding down the
sand. More experienced sandboarders can head to The Pit in Sand
City or the dunes in Seaside.